Calendar Sets Tab of the Calendar View

Cobra uses calendar sets for reporting and storing data time-phased. Once you have the base calendar set defined, you can define subsets of the base calendar by flagging selected dates.

Costs can then be aggregated or summarized, for each of the flagged dates; thus, your base calendar might be monthly. You create a calendar set for quarterly or yearly reporting or storing of time-phased data.

The Calendar Sets tab consists of two grids. The Select Calendar Set grid (left grid) and the Calendar Set grid (right grid). The Select Calendar Set grid displays the different calendar sets available. The Calendar Set grid displays the dates, hours, labels, and flags for the calendar set that you selected in the left grid.

Note: Right-clicking the Calendar Set grid displays the Calendar Sets Tab Shortcut Menu where you can perform tasks such as adding calendar sets, flagging selected dates, and moving the TODATE label.

Select Calendar Set

This grid displays the calendar sets defined for the calendar, as well as a brief description of each set. Cobra uses the following default calendar sets:

  • Calendar set 00: This set is labeled with the options selected in the New Calendar wizard.  All periods in set 00 must be labeled and flagged with $ or fixed flags.
  • Calendar set 01: This set has all periods labeled and allows you to flag the most commonly reported periods. These flags can be either fixed or floating flags.
Note: Label the first 12 periods of Calendar set 01 with floating flags (*) for easy reporting of the next 12 periods.
  • Calendar set 18: This set labels the first period of a new calendar PREVIOUS and the next period TODATE. These labels in set 18 are used to determine the status date of a project as well as what constitutes the current period (TODATE - PREVIOUS). As you advance the calendar, PREVIOUS and TODATE are moved automatically.
  • Calendar set 19: This is used for IPMR Formats 3 and 4 reports.  These reports are typically labeled and flagged with a combination of floating and fixed flags which match the header of the report.

Calendar Set

This grid displays the Date, Hours, Label, and Flag columns for the selected calendar set.

Field Description
Date

This column displays all the periods in the calendar.

Hours

This column displays the number of productive hours for each period.

Label

This column displays the label for the selected period. You can change period labels based on your reporting requirements.

Flag

This column displays the flags assigned to the periods. You can define subsets of the base calendar by flagging selected dates. Costs can be aggregated or summarized for each of the flagged dates; thus, your base calendar might be monthly. You create a calendar set for quarterly or yearly reporting, or for storing of time-phased data.

In addition, it is common to report the next 12 periods. To facilitate this, Cobra provides two types of flags:

  • Fixed flags: Fixed flags ($) define “fixed” periods (such as the end of fiscal years) that do not change as you advance the project status date.
  • Floating flags: Floating flags (*) define “floating” periods that are relative to the current project status date. Floating flags advances to the next labeled period each time the calendar advances. For example, you can define the 12 periods following the current date as floating periods for planning reports.

    By using a floating flag, it is possible, for example, to single out a specified number of accounting periods for the purpose of a look-ahead report in which the months displayed in the report automatically change each time you advance the project status date.

You can specify the labels for each flagged date in a calendar set. This makes it easy to see which accounting period is being defined by a particular cut-off date.